The Bloat of Big Business is Your Advantage

So you think your obscure little online business can’t compete with big box organizations that steamroll their competition and pancake independent entrepreneurs?

After all, how can you and thousands of other small-time operators working out of a home office compete profitably in customer markets where the big boys have their products stacked high and deep and their margins honed razor thin?

Just how do you run a bootstrap business and attract customer interest and trust in the midst of mammoth ad campaigns and non-stop glitzy intrusions?

The answer, of course, becomes clear when you observe big business bureaucracy, entrenchment and lack of mobility – the exact characteristics that expose Goliath’s vulnerabilities and the liabilities of size.

Here are ten common big business drawbacks that smart solo operators like you can quickly exploit and turn about-face to your own huge operating advantage:

1. Big business is “beholden” to shareholders, investors, lenders, and decision-makers that often know absolutely nothing about specialized markets, niche products, and consumer preferences.

2. Large organizations typically group employees functionally by what they add to the business bottom line, i.e., research and development, sales, operations, technology, customer support, and on and on. Vast amounts of company effort, time, and money are spent orchestrating efficiency and harmony.  You don’t have that challenge or expense.

3. Big business is bloated with big financial risk, big headaches, and critically precise margins. Many millions are at stake every day. A few misguided decisions create enormously complex corporate hurdles.

4. Likewise, largeness usually implies slow operating decisions, drawn-out product development, and a snail’s pace during change. You can exploit this slow speed and “churning” with your own one-person agility and decisiveness.

5. National and global corporations, by design, strategize to dominate their market, crush the competition and play one-upmanship with one another. You don’t have to worry about such things when you focus on your unique, one-of-a-kind business approach and offerings.

The thought of competing against huge corporations and the steam-rolling tactics scares many would-be entrepreneurs.

In fact, I have a sense that this seeming “road block” may stop many aspiring small business owners from even pursuing the dream of going into business … they just can’t see how they are going to compete!

But I can tell you that there are hundreds of thousands of solo small-time operators working out of a home office competing profitably in customer markets where the big boys have their products stacked high and deep.

The key, of course, is to choose your niche wisely, specialize deeply, focus on your strengths, and forget about going up against the juggernauts head-to-head.

Here are five more reasons why the solo entrepreneur can compete successfully against the large and well-healed corporations.

6. The big boys are forced to engage big markets, or diversification and breadth of product. They don’t pay attention to “under the radar” niches that can’t support their voracious appetites.

7. Corporations are often swollen and bulging with their attention fixed on mass appeal and a mindset riveted securely to a middle-of-the-road mentality. They can’t afford to play the edges or cater to off-the-beaten-path audiences.

8. Big business chokes on individual consumer preferences, personalized attention, and one-time off-the-wall customer requests. You can satisfy them all and be paid handsomely in the process.

9. Huge organizations are afraid to offend or step on toes, quick to apologize, and must seek to satisfy the majority of their customers in all they do and say. Democracy is never forced upon the solo business person.  In fact, very often it is a real advantage to “take a stand” or champion your cause.  Even though you might make some enemies, you will garner a loyal following of like minded enthusiasts that carry your banner against the common enemy!

10. Finally, big business is boring, plain vanilla, and typically intolerant of outrageous ideas and “rock the boat” strategies. But you can profit wildly from creative and offbeat products, strategies and execution.  You can make a lot of money by being unique, outrageous, and one-of-a-kind!

Corporate size, expertise, muscle, financial strength and access to mass markets may seem like insurmountable advantages that the small business owner can never successfully compete against.

Not so!

You can profitably run a bootstrap business and attract customer interest and trust in the midst of mammoth ad campaigns and non-stop glitzy intrusions of big business.  Just make sure you take advantage of the benefits and nuances of solo business so that you aren’t directly competing with the big boys in their territory.

To you online business success,

Steve Browne

www.SteveBrowneDirect.com